Orionids

When are the Orionids?

The Orionids are active from about 11 Oct to 7 Nov each year and peak around 22 Oct. Up to about 30 meteors an hour at the peak under ideal skies (the zenithal hourly rate). For local times, the Moon and the best hours from your place, open the page for the year.

• Orionids 2026Active 11 Oct – 7 NovPeak ~22 Oct
• Orionids 2027Active 11 Oct – 7 NovPeak ~22 Oct

How to watch

The radiant rises around mid-evening and is highest before dawn, so the last few hours of darkness are best. The Orionids can be seen from both hemispheres, and activity stays similar for a few nights around the peak.

Get as far from streetlights as you can and give your eyes at least 20 minutes to adjust to the dark. Every glance at a bright phone screen resets that, so keep it away or use a red night mode.

Lie back on a reclining chair or a mat and take in as much sky as possible, looking about halfway up rather than straight at the radiant. Meteors can appear anywhere; the ones far from the radiant have longer trails.

You need no equipment. Binoculars and telescopes show only a tiny patch of sky, so they make you miss meteors. Dress warmly, even in summer, and plan to watch for at least an hour: meteors come in clumps and lulls.

Where do they come from?

Each October Earth passes through dust shed by Halley’s Comet over many orbits. The grains hit the atmosphere at about 66 km/s and burn up, often leaving short-lived glowing trails. In May, the same stream gives the Eta Aquariids.

Very fast meteors, often with glowing trains that linger for a second or two.